18-6 Part 2
Those Who Maneuver in the Shadows 2 /
A Picnic Just for Siblings 1/2
Translator : PolterGlast
・The
Third in Line to the Imperial Throne
My name is Olive. People call me Marquis Beck. Although I am the third son of
the Emperor's family, because my mother is from the Duke Einbeck family, the leader of the North, I was yielded the headship
of the family from my uncle at the age of 25. In contrast to the second son Julius, who is in a similar position
and resides in the Imperial Capital, I am keeping an eye on the South from here
in the land of Einbeck. While
strengthening cooperation with the northern nobles, I was planning how to move
to connect it to profit, intending to outsmart my brothers and acquire the
Imperial throne if there was an opening.
「Morac-sama has arrived.」
「Morac... going out of his way to come
here? What an energetic old geezer.」
OrdEring the servant to show him to the
usual place, I slipped my arms into a jacket that cost 50,000 Crowns and burned
civet incense. Then, waiting until the scent had sufficiently transferred to my
body, I headed to the museum I am so proud of.
「Finally,
huh. You are a man who makes people wait at every opportunity... That makes you
just like a princess.」
「Did
you go out of your way to come all the way to this north just to say sarcastic
remarks, Uncle Morac?」
Uncle was captivated
by my collection. This is the most glamorous space in the Empire, crowded with
every conceivable antique and work of art.
「Obviously
I came because there is something to discuss. I have also brought a souvenir
that you would likely favor.」
Uncle Morac placed a paulownia box on the
desk. An antique, perhaps? But the box is something made recently.
「This
is... a horn. No, it is not just an ordinary animal's horn, is it.」
「Hmph...
I paid a hefty sum for your sake. I would be troubled if you told me you didn't
need it.」
Through silk gloves,
I took that single horn out of the box. It resembles a certain item I possess.
I returned that white horn to the box, and returned holding a black horn from
the back of the museum.
「This
is... the horn of the Horned race...! And a white-horned species, which is said
to have disappeared in the distant past at that!」
「Hmph...
It seems you like it.」
「I like
it! You are giving this to me, are you not!? What should I do in return!?」
「Olive, it helps that you are quick to
understand. I want to make the other troublesome Princes learn from you.」
Morac frequently offers me bribes. I did not refuse them either.
Only a fool would not accept what is given. Valuable things ought to gather in
my museum.
「Beautiful...
This is what the most prosperous and glorious race on this surface raised upon
their foreheads... truly a masterpiece befitting me...」
「Olive, we probably both have our own
thoughts and positions, but how about we join hands for now?」
The terrifying thing
about this old man named Morac is
not just his position as Chairman. It is that he is completely accustomed to
all sorts of political strife. He is the Emperor's older brother in name only,
a thoroughly despicable piece of trash, but if turned into an enemy, I could
easily end up surrounded.
「I will
do anything if you give it to me. To think you found such a masterpiece for
me...!」
「Do not
underestimate the elderly; it is something I have prepared since 10 years ago
as a trump card to persuade you.」
「If
that is true, you have a lot of patience... So, what should I do?」
「Hmph...
If the succession dispute becomes a clash of power against power, we will be at
a disadvantage. Julius who unifies
the southern nobles, Yord of the
Knight Order, Georg of the Imperial
army. All of them will be formidable enemies.」
The northern nobles
unified by Einbeck are also a
correspondingly large force. However, as Morac
says, while the North is rich in mineral resources, its population is small due
to the temperature. If we fight with the South, food imports will also be cut
off.
「Then
what do you intend to do?」
「Create
a new law in the Imperial Capital. The name is the State of Emergency Act.
Limited to the Imperial Capital, it is a law that makes my orders as Chairman
absolute during emergencies such as a civil war.」
「In
short, I just have to persuade the northern lords, right?」
「That
is right. With the votes from your side, the rest can be managed with the usual
bribery.」
I thought about it.
Whether this law would be to my benefit or not. The one who will be most
troubled by this bill is the guardian of the Empire's center, Georg. He will be forced to choose
whether to obey Morac or to rise up
in revolt.
「Understood,
I will cooperate. However, persuading the lords will require bribes.」
「Of
course, I will provide that as well.」
「I
heard that a new port was born in the land called Erin, and your financial situation has been poor lately; will you
be alright?」
「Tch...!
That is exactly why we must crush that Ashley's
backing!」
「Ashley, huh... Uncle Morac, you may be detests
him, but I do not hate him. I have always wanted that dragon's eye. Once Father
and Georg are gone, catching him and
gouging it out would be nice too...」
And inside my
museum, that dragon's eye will pass down the history of the pitiful Prince's
existence.
「But if
you corner Georg too much, he might
become disappointed in us and cause a coup d'état, you know?」
「In
that case, we should have
a legitimate reason to defeat Georg.
We just have to make the successors fight each other and wait for one of them
to perish.」
「That
is not bad. Understood, I'm on board with this talk.」
In reality, things
probably won't go so conveniently. But I liked this gift. I'll keep my story
straight with Morac for just a short
while. The other imperial family members know my nature anyway. If a more
wonderful tribute is offered, I will abandon this pitiful old man.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
・Younger
Brother
The picnic with Aneue ultimately ended up being at a
place a 5-minute walk from the Lord's mansion. Because it would be meaningless
if Aniue couldn't join us. We
decided to do it at a place with a good view within the premises.
「I
wonder if Georg is here yet... Hey,
what is Zirant-chan saying!?」
「Don't
rush so much; she says he will arrive shortly.」
「You
said that just a while ago too! Haa... should we start without him...?」
「Please
calm down, Aneue is a little strange
today.」
Laying a sheet on
the manicured lawn, we are waiting for Georg-aniue on top of it. Aneue
repeatedly stood up and sat down, restlessly turning her eyes toward the
mansion's entrance. The daytime's white sunlight made Aneue's beautiful blonde hair translucent. The figure of the ideal
Imperial Princess that everyone admires was there.
「Jeez,
that's because Ashley disappears so
quickly! Since it's precious sibling time, your big sister wants it to last
even a little bit longer!」
「...Then,
will Aneue and Durin tag along on the next expedition?」
「Oh
my... is that alright?」
「No,
it's a joke. Even Aniue wouldn't
permit that much.」
More importantly, is
he still not here, Zirant? If this
keeps up, there's no telling what Aneue will
start doing.
『He
just now, passed through the gate, over there... Your brother is, surprisingly,
ugh... rough...』
What does that mean?
『You
will understand soon enough even if you don't want to...』
I also stood up next to Aneue and looked towards the entrance. Then—
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